Cigarette pack comprising a slide and case

ABSTRACT

A cigarette pack with a shell ( 10 ) and slide ( 11 ), the range of movement of the slide ( 11  ) within the shell ( 10 ) is limited, in particular by stops formed, on the one hand, on a stop tab ( 30 ) and, on the other hand, by a recess ( 34 ) in the shell ( 10 ). The stops help to define a closed position of the slide ( 11 ) and an open position.

STATEMENT OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

The above-captioned patent application is the Unites States PatentCooperation Treaty (PCT) Chapter II National Phase of InternationalApplication No. PCT/EP03/03754, having an International Application Dateof 11 Apr. 2003, which in turn claims priority on German PatentApplication No. 10218558.1, having a filing date of 25 Apr. 2002,designating the United States of America.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The invention relates to a pack having a slide and an outer shell whichat least partially encloses the slide, is open at both ends and isintended, in particular, for accommodating a cigarette group, the slidehaving at least one base wall.

2. Prior Art

Cigarette packs configured with shells and slides are knowninternationally, although up until now they have not been used as widelyfor cigarettes as hinge-lid boxes or soft-carton packs. In the case ofslide and shell packs, the cigarette group is enclosed by an inner blankmade of tin foil or paper. The resulting cigarette block is seated inthe slide comprising a base wall, side walls and an end flap and closureflap. For removal of the pack contents, the slide is pushed part of theway out of the shell, with the result that the pack contents are exposedin the region of the closure flap.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to improve the handling of packs, inparticular cigarette packs, of the slide and shell type without changingthe outer appearance or increasing the production outlay.

In order to achieve this object, the pack according to the invention ischaracterized in that, as a result of stops or connecting means arrangedwithin the shell, the slide can only be pushed to a limited extent outof the shell. The stops or connecting means preferably take effect suchthat, on the one hand, the slide can be moved into a predetermined openposition and, on the other hand, the closed position is defined suchthat it terminates flush with the shell.

In the case of an advantageous embodiment, at least one stop is arrangedon the slide, this stop interacting with one or two mating stops in theinterior of the shell. The stop of the shell is formed by a stop flapwhich is formed part of the base wall or in the region of side flaps. Inthe case of a particular configuration of the invention, the matingstops are formed by peripheries of a recess which is produced by beingpunched out of overlapping folding tabs or connecting tabs of the shell.

As an alternative, a deformable, elastic connecting means is provided,within the shell, between the slide and shell. This connecting meanslimits the movement amplitude of the slide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the pack are explained in more detailhereinbelow with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective illustration of a cigarette pack with a slideand shell in the open position,

FIG. 2 shows a blank for a slide in the spread-out position,

FIG. 3 shows a spread-out blank of a shell,

FIG. 4 shows the longitudinal section of the pack according to FIG. 1,in the closed position,

FIG. 5 shows a plan view, partly in section, of the pack according toFIG. 4, in the open position,

FIG. 6 shows part of the pack according to FIG. 5 along across-sectional plane VI-VI from FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 shows an illustration, analogous to FIG. 1, of another exemplaryembodiment of the pack,

FIG. 8 shows a spread-out blank of a slide for the pack according toFIG. 7,

FIG. 9 shows a spread-out blank of a shell for the pack according toFIG. 7,

FIG. 10 shows a plan view, on an enlarged scale and in the openposition, of the pack according to FIG. 7,

FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section through the pack according to FIG.10 along section plane XI-XI,

FIG. 12 shows, on an enlarged scale, a detail of the pack according toFIG. 11 in cross section along section plane XII-XII,

FIG. 13 shows a detail of the pack according to FIG. 12 along sectionplane XIII-XIII,

FIG. 14 shows a further embodiment of a slide and shell pack in verticalsection, in the closed position, and

FIG. 15 shows the pack according to FIG. 14 in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The packs of the slide and shell type which are shown comprise twoparts, namely an outer shell 10 and a slide 11 which can be movedtherein, both being made, in particular, of thin cardboard.

A cigarette group 12 comprising two rows of cigarettes is shown as thecontent of the pack. The cigarette group 12 is enclosed by an innerblank 13 and thus forms a cigarette block, which fits in the pack.

The shell 10 and slide 11 each comprise separate blanks. In the case ofthe exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 6, the slide 11comprises a supporting wall or base wall 14 and mutually oppositeinsertion flaps, namely a closure flap 15 and an opposite end flap 16.Side flaps 17, 18 are provided laterally on the base wall 14. Oncefolding of the slide 11 has been finished, these side flaps are foldedinto an upright position, with the result that the slide 11 has aU-shaped cross section in the region of the base wall 14.

The closure flap 15 comprises an end wall 19 and an insertion flap 20adjoining the same. Punch cuts 21 delimit the closure flap 15 from theside flaps 17, 18, with an intermediate wall 22 being formed in theprocess. The individual regions or blank walls are delimited from oneanother by folding lines, which are illustrated in the drawings bydashed lines.

The end flap 16 comprises two regions, namely an end wall 23 and aninsertion flap 24 adjoining the same.

As can be seen from FIG. 4 in particular, the pack contents—cigaretteblock—are/is at least partially enclosed by the slide 11 on all sides inthe closed position of the pack. The end wall 19 butts against one endof the cigarettes or of the cigarette block—in the region of filters inthe case of filter cigarettes—while the end wall 23 butts againstopposite ends of the cigarettes in the cigarette block. The insertionflaps 20 and 24 butt against the cigarette block on the side which islocated opposite the base wall 14.

The shell 10 forms a top wall 25, a bottom wall 26 located opposite thelatter, and narrow, elongate side walls 27, 28. In order to form ahollow body of rectangular cross section which is open at both ends, aperipheral tab 29 of the blank of the shell 10 is connected, namelyadhesively bonded, to a free peripheral region of the bottom wall 26.The peripheral tab 29 here butts against the inside of the bottom wall26. The shell 10 encloses the slide 11 together with the cigarette blocksuch that the base wall 14 butts against the inside of the bottom wall26. The side flaps 17,18 are in contact with the inside of the sidewalls 27, 28.

The pack is designed such that at least one end position of the slide 11relative to the shell 10, but preferably two end positions thereof,is/are fixed by elements arranged in a concealed manner on the inside.One of these positions is an open position corresponding to FIGS. 1 and2. In this case, the slide 11 projects out of the shell 10 to the extentwhere free access to the cigarette group 12 is possible—following priorremoval of a flap of the inner blank 13. The closed position (FIG. 4) islikewise fixed, that is say a position in which the slide 11 terminatesflush with the shell 10.

One special feature is the end positions of the slide 11 being providedwith the aid of stops and mating stops. According to FIGS. 1 to 6, astop tab 30 is formed laterally on the slide 11 as part of the slide 11.Punching 31, which bounds the stop tab 30, is provided in the region ofthe base wall 14 of the slide 11. The stop tab 30 extends as far as theslide flap 18. When the pack is used, two mutually opposite stop edges32 and 33 of the stop tab 30 can take effect.

Mating elements, namely mating stops, are formed on the inside of theshell 10, in the present case in the region of the bottom wall 26. Themating stop is part of the peripheral tab 29 or is formed by the latter.The peripheral tab 29, which rests on the bottom wall 26 on the inside,is provided with an (open) recess 34, of which the transversely directedperipheries or edges act as a mating stop, to be precise as an openingstop 35 and closing stop 36.

Once folding of the pack has been finished and the pack has beenassembled, the stop tab 30 is located in the region of the recess 34.The stop tab 30 is directed obliquely, that is to say passes out of theplane of the base wall 14 in the downward direction and projects intothe recess 34. The position of the stop tab 30 is produced by thematerial properties, since the stop tab 30 extends as far as a foldingedge 37 between the base wall 14 and side tab 18. The projecting regionof the stop tab 30 can be displaced within the recess 34, duringactuating of the slide 11, until, during an opening movement, the stopedge 32 butts against the associated mating stop, namely against theopening stop 35, and thus fixes the end position. In the case ofmovement in the opposite direction, the stop edge 33 comes into abutmentagainst the closing stop 36 in accordance with the closed position ofthe slide 11.

The stop edge 33 and, correspondingly, the edge of the closing stop 36are directed obliquely. This makes it easier for the slide 11 to beintroduced into the shell 10 when the pack is assembled. The stop edge33, which is located at the front when the slide is pushed in, can beintroduced into the shell 10 without catching, until the stop tab 30 ispositioned within the recess 34.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 13, aspecial feature of the pack is constituted by the configuration of theslide 11. The latter comprises the base wall 14, the closure flap 15 andthe end flap 16, but does not have any side flaps. The stop system ofthe pack acts in the region of the side flaps, that is to say in a planerunning transversely to the base wall 14. For this purpose, a projectingstop tab 30, which in this example is of rectangular design, is arrangedon a free periphery of the base wall 14. For the material-savingproduction of blanks for slides 11 in the configuration according toFIG. 8, the stop tab 30 has a punched-out portion 38 of the same shapeand size formed opposite it.

The shell 10 is also designed in a particular manner, that is to say ithas a second peripheral tab 39, located opposite the peripheral tab 29.The two peripheral tabs 29 and 39 together form the side wall 28 of theshell 10, the peripheral tabs 29, 30 overlapping one another and beingconnected to one another by adhesive bonding or the like. The peripheraltab 39 is located on the outside and extends over the entire heightand/or width of the side wall 28.

The inner peripheral tab 29 interacts with the stop tab 30 and has anopen recess 34 for this purpose. This recess is rectangular and formstransversely directed stops, namely the opening stop 35 and closing stop36.

One stop, namely the opening stop 35, is designed in a particularmanner, to be precise is bounded by a short incision 40 and is thusprovided with an exposed endpiece 41. The latter is deformed inwards(FIG. 13) and thus forms a particularly effective and impassable stopfor the stop edge 32 of the stop tab 30.

The pack according to FIGS. 14 and 15 is provided with an element offundamentally different design for defining end positions of the slide11. This element is a connecting flap 42 which is provided within theshell 10, between the slide 11 on the one hand and the shell 10 on theother hand. In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, theconnecting flap 42 is positioned in a region which is directed away fromthe closure flap 15. One end region of the connecting flap 42 isconnected to the base wall 14 of the slide 11 and another end region isconnected to the bottom wall 26 of the shell 10, in the present case byway of areas of glue 43, 44. The connecting flap 42 consists of a thin,flexible material, for example tear-resistant paper, film or the like.During movement of the slide 11 within the shell, the connecting flap 42is moved from one straightened-out position into another. Onestraightened-out position defines the closed position (FIG. 14) and theother straightened-out position defines the open position (FIG. 15). Inthe case of the exemplary embodiment shown, the connecting flap 42 isdesigned as a double-layered element, namely as a closed loop, whichforms legs lying flatly against one another. As an alternative, theconnecting flap 42 may be of single-layered design.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

-   10 shell-   11 slide-   12 cigarette group-   13 inner blank-   14 base wall-   15 closure flap-   16 end flap-   17 side flap-   18 side flap-   19 end wall-   20 insertion flap-   21 punch cut-   22 intermediate wall-   23 end wall-   24 insertion flap-   25 top wall-   26 bottom wall-   27 side wall-   28 side wall-   29 peripheral tab-   30 stop tab-   31 punching-   32 stop edge-   33 stop edge-   34 recess-   35 opening stop-   36 closing stop-   37 folding edge-   38 punched-out portion-   39 peripheral tab

1. A pack having a slide (11) and a shell (10) which partially enclosesthe slide, is open at both ends for accommodating a cigarette group(12), the slide (11) having at least one base wall (14), characterizedin that, as a result of stops or connecting means, the slide (11) canonly be moved to a limited extent within the shell (10):
 2. The pack asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the relative movement betweenthe slide (11) and the shell (10) is limited by mutually correspondingstops and mating stops which are formed within the shell (10) and arelocated on the latter, on the one hand, and the slide (11), on the otherhand, for defining an open position of the slide (11) and a closedposition.
 3. The pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that aprotrusion is provided on the slide (11), namely projecting stop tab(30), which interacts with at least one stop, namely opening stop (35)and/or closing stop (36), on an inner side of the shell (10).
 4. Thepack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in the region of atleast one wall of the shell, the shell (10) has an overlap of shell tabsthat are connected to one another by adhesive bonding, namely an overlapon an inner side of a peripheral tab (29), on the one hand, and bottomwall (26), on the other hand, with each inner part of the overlap,namely the sinner peripheral tab (29), forming the mating stops for thestop tab (30).
 5. The pack as claimed in claim 4, characterized in thatthe inner peripheral tab (29) has a recess (34) which is open at theperiphery and whose boundary edges form the mating stops, namely openingstop (35) and closing stop (36), the stop tab (30) being displaceablewithin the recess (34) during movements of the slide (11).
 6. The packas claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the stop tab (30), which isprovided on the slide (11), is part of the base wall (14) and projects,by material deformation, beyond the plane of the base wall (14) suchthat at least one sub-region of the stop tab (30) projects into therecess (34), namely in the region of the base wall (14) or of aperipheral tab (29) butting against the base wall (14).
 7. The pack asclaimed in claim 3, characterized in that the stop tab (30) adjoins thebase wall (14) of the slide (11) laterally and extends transversely orvertically to the base wall (14) in the region of a side wall (28) ofthe shell (10), the stop tab (30) projecting into the recess (34) formedin the region of the side wall (28).
 8. The pack as claimed in claim 3,characterized in that at least one mating stop forms, by way of materialdeformation, an elevated protrusion for the stop tab (30), namely theopening stop (35) by way of deformation of the peripheral tab (29) inthe region of the recess (34).
 9. The pack as claimed in claim 3,characterized in that an edge of the recess (34), namely the closingstop (36), that forms a mating stop, is directed obliquely, with a stopedge (33) of the stop tab (30) running in a correspondingly obliquemanner.
 10. The pack as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that theslide (11) and shell (10) are connected to one another within the shell(10) by a deformable connecting means, namely a connecting flap (42),which defines end positions of the slide (11) on account of astraightened-out position.
 11. The pack as claimed in claim 10,characterized in that the connecting flap (42) is connected, on the onehand, to the base wall (14) of the slide (11) and, on the other hand, toa bottom wall (26) of the shell (10).
 12. The pack as claimed in claim2, characterized in that a protrusion is provided on the slide (11),namely projecting stop tab (30), which interacts with at least one stop,namely opening stop (35) and/or closing stop (36), on an inner side ofthe shell (10).
 13. The pack as claimed in claim 12, characterized inthat the stop tab (30), which is provided on the slide (11), is part ofthe base wall (14) and projects, by material deformation, beyond theplane of the base wall (14) such that at least one sub-region of thestop tab (30) projects into the recess (34), namely in the region of thebase wall (14) or of a peripheral tab (29) butting against the base wall(14).
 14. The pack as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that thestop tab (30) adjoins the base wall (14) of the slide (11) laterally andextends transversely or vertically to the base wall (14) in the regionof a side wall (28) of the shell (10), the stop tab (30) projecting intothe recess (34) formed in the region of the side wall (28).
 15. The packas claimed in claim 12, characterized in that at least one mating stopforms, by way of material deformation, an elevated protrusion for thestop tab (30), namely the opening stop (35) by way of deformation of theperipheral tab (29) in the region of the recess (34).
 16. The pack asclaimed in claim 12, characterized in that an edge of the recess (34),namely the closing stop (36), that forms a mating stop, is directedobliquely, with a stop edge (33) of the stop tab (30) running in acorrespondingly oblique manner.
 17. The pack as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that, in the region of at least one wall of the shell,the shell (10) has an overlap of shell tabs that are connected to oneanother by adhesive bonding, namely an overlap of two peripheral tabs(29), with each inner part of the overlap, namely the inner peripheraltab (29), forming the mating stops for the stop tab (30).
 18. A packhaving a slide (11) and a shell (10) which partially encloses the slide,is open at both ends for accommodating a cigarette group (12), the slide(11) having at least one base wall (14), comprising a protrusion on theslide (11), namely projecting stop tab (30), which interacts with atleast one stop, namely opening stop (35) and/or closing stop (36), on aninner side of the shell (10), wherein, as a result of the stops (35,36), the slide (11) can only be moved to a limited extent within theshell (10), and the relative movement between the slide (11) and theshell (10) is limited by mutually corresponding stops and mating stopswhich are formed within the shell (10) and are located on the latter, onthe one hand, and the slide (11), on the other hand, for defining anopen position of the slide (11) and a closed position.
 19. The pack asclaimed in claim 18, characterized in that, in the region of at leastone wall of the shell, the shell (10) has an overlap of shell tabs thatare connected to one another by adhesive bonding, namely an overlap onan inner side of a peripheral tab (29), on the one hand, and bottom wall(26), on the other hand, with each inner part of the overlap, namely theinner peripheral tab (29), forming the mating stops for the stop tab(30).
 20. The pack as claimed in claim 19, characterized in that theinner peripheral tab (29) has a recess (34) which is open at theperiphery and whose boundary edges form the mating stops, namely openingstop (35) and closing stop (36), the stop tab (30) being displaceablewithin the recess (34) during movements of the slide (11).